The Waterfront Cafe & General Store

The Waterfront Cafe & General Store does double duty on Church Point: a general store and coffee counter out front from 6.30am, and a deck-and-dining operation that runs through to the evening on weekends. It sits right at the water on Pittwater Road, so the whole setup leans on the view, the fish and chips, and long outdoor sessions that suit people who have brought the dog along for the day.

Where dogs fit in

Reported by visitors, dogs are welcome on the open air deck seating, and it is common to see tables dining beside the water with a dog settled underneath. The indoor dining room and food preparation areas stay dog free, as NSW food rules require, so this is a deck or bust arrangement. It is worth arriving early on weekends because the deck fills quickly with boaters and locals. The general store side is handy for a takeaway coffee and supplies if you are on the water or heading to a picnic spot instead.

The menu runs well past cafe basics: seafood platters, fish and chips, pizza and regular live music, with QR code ordering at the tables if you would rather not queue. Parking is along Pittwater Road and in the surrounding streets, and it pays to arrive before 9am on a Sunday if the deck is the whole point of the trip.

Pair it with

Church Point works well combined with a run at Bayview Dog Park, a few minutes south around the bay. For another sit down option on the same stretch of water, Pasadena at Church Point is next door, and The Brightside Cafe at Mona Vale covers the morning coffee run. More options are listed under dog friendly Church Point and the NSW cafe guide.